


Home

by PocketWhirlwind



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Melancholy, Post-KH3 AU, a bit of angst, headcanons, made for a fandom zine, mentions of other Radiant Garden crew but it doesn't linger on them long, so many headcanons, xaldin zine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:48:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28958199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PocketWhirlwind/pseuds/PocketWhirlwind
Summary: As the saying goes: Home is where the heart is.But Dilan always questioned where his home is.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Home

**Author's Note:**

> Created for the Xaldin FanZine.
> 
> So many headcanons went into this. And I mean a lot. I've always wanted to think on what would make Dilan happy in life, and I think I found an answer.

Home is where the heart is.

Dilan had not known a home in years.

The first home he had was with his birth family. Being the eldest had granted him more liberties than his siblings. His father taught him survival instincts from days of hunting in the woods. And his mother taught him how to provide for his siblings and the elderly, even when she started to weaken. The people of the town taught him how to care for the land and how to love in return.

But something called to him. Something out beyond the fields of wheat and sheep. It was only a matter of time before he decided to leave. He knew there was more than his small, little village. And he wanted more. In time, his heart called for him to pack up and explore the world. His family gave him weeping good-byes and off he went.

He thought he had found his home within another town. Larger than his birthplace, he became enthralled by the street vendors and the people. It was there that Dilan met a girl he thought he could give the world to. Bright-eyed and fair of face, she smiled and saw into his soul and Dilan found his heart beating for hers. In the months that followed their fateful meeting, they bonded and grew close to one another. Dilan thought they got along well.

But it was not to be.

Heartbroken and hurt by betrayal, Dilan left the town. He questioned once again if he had a home. All he knew was that this place was no longer home.

For some time, he roamed the world. Always looking for some place to settle down. But nothing seemed right. He came upon many places and people. Towns with beautiful people, cities with towering buildings, forests with incredible creatures--! There were many kind faces and hands he met. But none that settled the ache in his heart.

Years later, he came upon Radiant Garden.

A beautiful city of homely buildings, flowing fountains, and rivers of flowerbeds. He was captivated. There was splendor here that was not found in other places. He could not describe it. Something drew him in, and he wanted to learn more. After obtaining a room at the inn, Dilan decided to stay for a few days. He explored the town center and examined the fountains.

For the first time in quite some time, Dilan felt a warmth resonating within him. Ever since he had left his home village, a void rested within him. There was an emptiness that he could not quite fill with the other places he had been. But this city charmed him. He sensed there was something else for him here. Maybe this was where destiny was trying to lead him.

He spent the next few days exploring the city. Its residents welcomed him with friendly smiles, open-arms, and stories. The community here made people want to be closer together. Dilan’s heart longed for that sense of belonging. He had traveled alone for so long, would he be able to join this loving place? 

So he thought until the third day.

Dilan had found a spot hidden among several trees and bushes that was excellent for his warmups. The months traveling forced him to keep his body in proper shape. Dilan had assumed it was for the schoolchildren to study in, but he was wrong when an intimidating man approached. “Please, follow me,” was all he said. Not one to cause trouble, Dilan followed the large red-headed man up to the impressive castle that loomed over the entire city. Inside, he was introduced to Ansem the Wise, the Lord of the Castle.

Ansem was a man with a soft smile who spoke with an authority that made Dilan want to impress him. He was patient and listened to what Dilan had to say, and he appeared to take in every word instead of dismissing him. At last, Ansem chuckled and gave Dilan a warm smile that made his heart drum in his chest. Maybe it was the prospect of someone else looking out for him that made him believe in his words: “We believe you would be a good fit here.”

He was drawn to the red-head, Aeleus. A man who was larger than him and able to keep up with his stamina. Their fighting styles were different yet compatible. Aeleus had the power and force while Dilan had the speed and maneuverability. Dilan began to open himself up to the man more quickly than the others. There was something calming about the giant man. Between the two of them, they had an understanding that their pasts were not to be discussed with others. What they confided with each other was only between them.

Braig slowly grew on him in the way an ant bite became less irritating over time. The antics the younger man spun within the tales he told during their long overnight watches were entertaining. It took time, but Dilan started to trust him. Perhaps it was the extended hours they spent together that made Dilan start to see him as a brother.

The scientist Even soon joined them, and he turned into a very formidable puzzle rival. He and Dilan bounced theories off one another, growing closer in a different way from Aeleus. While Aeleus could strengthen Dilan’s body, Even expand his mind. The way the blond looked at the world and came to his decisions was far more abstract than Dilan’s practical nature. Dinner conversations between them lasted hours over philosophies and theories.

And then the child came. Ienzo had been an unexpected addition to their group. But Dilan grew attached to the small child as an older brother; the instinct to protect and teach from his younger siblings had taken over. It had been years since he had seen them. He wondered what they were like now. When he had left home all those years ago, his youngest brother was Ienzo’s age…

Above them all was Master Ansem. The man who took him in and gave him a job. He had seen the prospect within Dilan and proposed hypothetical challenges to him. Dilan must have impressed him enough to appoint him to an apprentice status right away. Pride bubbled up inside of him. A sudden father figure in his life when he had left his own so many years ago. The kindness took him by surprise every time. Even when he was scolding Dilan for being out too late or misreading a computer code, he still did what he could to teach.

Before he knew it, Dilan found himself surrounded by family once more. His heart filled with a different type of love. Something he thought he had walked away from. This felt right.

But it was not meant to be.

Years later and two lives lived, Dilan found himself lost once again. Could he call Radiant Garden his home anymore? This castle, where he brought the downfall of the world and others? He had helped release the Darkness onto the citizens. Kidnapped them and experimented on them. This was his fault. The guilt was far too strong.

No, this castle was not home anymore. His heart was broken and too far gone for this place to be home for him.

But it was not right for him to leave. He needed to redeem himself to the people that lived here. It was not right to just leave and try to start anew.

The guilt ate away at him at night. The walls whispered their guilt into his ears, and he felt haunted by the ghosts of the past. Dilan had been so used to running, he found the need to leave once more.

But these people. They had become a family to him. He thought of the bonds he had made here. He could not just sever them because something bothered him. Could he? There had to be another way.

He needed to live somewhere other than the castle. Maybe this new place would be better.

After several weeks of compromises, he earned himself a house. The Restoration Committee was generous enough to help him with this new home. It was settled near the outskirts of the town, still within the boundaries of the defense system. He spent his days building up the city and cleaning out the castle.

This house slowly became his own. The kitchen filled with various spices, couches were draped with several hand-knitted blankets with a small garden sprouted in the back with all sorts of teas and herbs. Drying tea leaves hung in the kitchen window under which lay a large fluffy white cat. He snoozed in the afternoon sun that came in through the windows. Dilan gave it a light pat on the head as he passed, to which it objected with a trill and went back to sleep. He stepped around the smaller brown tabby cat that lay on the ground, stretching in the sunbeams. Two dogs waited patiently for him to get their food bowls for their afternoon meal. Three bowls were prepared and two set out at the edge of the kitchen as the two ate. He made his way next to the fireplace where the large, old greyhound stood and stretched on shaky legs for him. He patted her head and set down the bowl of mostly broth for her.

“Eat up, old girl…”

He watched as the grey snout sniffed the bowl and she started to eat. He smiled and gave her a few encouraging pets. Dilan stood and went back to the kitchen to check on the other animals and grab the kettle before it sang.

The guilt of the past still weighed down on him even in this quiet house. It came at night in his dreams, making him shake and sweat, but the dogs were there to chase them away with wet noses and tongues. The memories would come back to him in the middle of the day with gasped breaths and pain in his chest. The cats would remind him he was alive now with gentle meows and purrs.

The animals provided what the humans could not. He still checked up on the others in the castle. Dilan knew they wanted to see him. He knew they wanted to make sure he was making a better life for himself. The castle might have brought him into this city, but this house he had made with these animals felt right. He missed the company of humans from time to time, but Aeleus and Even and Ienzo did their best to come and say hello to him as well.

There was respect for his space and what he needed. He had spoken at length with Aeleus about what Dilan thought was right for him. He hated the feeling of staying in the castle. The walls held a chokehold on his guilt. But out there, where he could make a life for himself and help others, that felt right. There was no rush for these animals; their resolute want for human companionship was all Dilan needed. He spoke out loud to them to fill the silence, but it was never the right kind of replacement for humans.

This house, with the drying spices and three dogs and two cats, Dilan felt safe. He was at ease here.

Dilan sat with a steaming mug of tea in his hands. The sounds of dogs licking their bowls clean blended with the people walking through the streets. It was calm. Peaceful.

His heart was full. This was home now.


End file.
